Re: New Titanosaur (Maxakalisaurus) from Brazil

[Michael Mortimer <mickey_mortimer111@msn.com>]

Jamie Stearns wrote-

> ...a proposed family of titanosaurs noted for (I think) amphicoelous 
> vertebrae which includes Adamantisaurus, Rinconsaurus, Gondwanatitan, 
> Laplatasaurus and possibly the original *Titanosaurus indicus*, the 
> inclusion of which would make this the Titanosauridae, and finally the 
> saltasaurids. I don't know exactly why the position of Aegyptosaurus is 
> still uncertain, as it's been known for a long time now and Stromer most 
> likely figured some of the (apparently somewhat complete) material in his 
> papers somewhere.

Er... the only known (proximal) caudals of Adamantisaurus are procoelous.  
Rinconsaurus has mostly procoelous caudals, though a few distal caudals are 
opisthocoelous, biconvex or amphicoelous.  All known caudals of 
Gondwanatitan (=Aeolosaurus?) are procoelous.  All caudal vertebrae referred 
to Laplatasaurus are procoelous.  The Titanosaurus holotype is procoelous as 
well.  Saltasaurids also have procoelous caudals.
As for Aegyptosaurus, it's really no exception.  Besides some basic ideas of 
which taxa are basal and which are closest to Saltasaurus, all titanosaurs 
have uncertain positions.

Mickey Mortimer